Sunday, July 10, 2011

31 DAYS TO A WISER YOU: Proverbs Chapter 11

This is part of a series, studying the book of Proverbs during the month of July, 2011. For more details clickhere.

ThemeIn addition to being the wisest king in all the land (1 Kings 4:29-31), Solomon was also richer than any other king (1 Kings 3:13) because of his faithfulness in asking God to provide him with wisdom to lead. How vast was Solomon's riches? Check out 1 Kings 10:14 - it states that each year, King Solomon took in almost 25 tons of gold! That's about 50,000 pounds of gold, or at today's value of gold ($1,542.48 per ounce), approximately $1.233 billion in gold each year.

Obviously Solomon is quite capable to speak about money, and in this chapter he shares how we should handle money in our lives, both personally as well as professionally. Nine of these verses speak directly about finances, and several others contain relevant truths in regard to finance and business. Here's a summary of those nine rules to live by:

Verse 1 - In business, be honest in all of your dealings - with customers, with vendors, your employer, and your employees.

Verse 4 - Your earnings here on earth won't help you at all after you pass away, but while you're alive, what you do and how you do it will affect life both down here as well as up there.

Verse 15 - Don't sign for another person's debt. So important is this truth to Solomon that he steps away from his writing style of comparing good vs. evil and states this truth twice within the same breath.

Verse 16 - There's a correct way and a wrong way to conduct your business affairs. Eventually those around you will see who you really are - either gracious or ruthless.

Verse 18 - Seems like verse 4 is still stirring in his mind, as he repeats basically the same thought here too.

Verse 24 - Give to gain, hoard and lose it all.

Verse 25 - Want a blessing? Be that blessing to someone else.

Verse 26 - Don't take advantage of people in a time of need, but help those who need assistance. It will be remembered as time marches on.

Verse 28 - Trust in your money and fail! Trust in God and flourish.

I'll take my financial advice from God, utilizing the wealthiest king ever to pen His words!

Key Verses For Me

Proverbs 11:25 - The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it. - John D. Rockefeller

Related Scriptures

Matthew 6:19-21 - Don't store up your treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Prayer

Father I am eternally grateful with what You have graciously blessed me with down here. For what I've wasted, I humbly ask for forgiveness. I pray that I, and the money that I have, are used in Your service and for your glory.

2 comments:

v. 24-25. One of my true passions in life is through giving. I LOVE to give. As a matter of fact, I would much rather spend time and effort wrapping and giving gifts to others than receiving - I'm not a very good recipient of gifts. My Bible says "we become richer by being generous." While the world says to hold on to as much as possible, God blesses those who give freely of [not only] their possessions, but of their time and energy as well. And then it goes on to say that when we give, God supplies us with more so that we can give more! Giving also helps us gain a right perspective on our possessions. So what we gain through giving, then, is freedom from enslavement to our possessions, the JOY of helping others, and God's approval....thus saith my study Bible, which I absolutely love.

I've told Andy many times that if we ever were granted the opportunity to have millions of dollars, I would give most of it away - to the church, to hard-working, struggling families that deserve a break, to families of sick children....Ty Pennington has a dream job! He is afforded the opportunity to do this on a daily basis - I wonder how gratifying that is to him. My heart fills with joy any time I can bless another person...I truly well up with joy and contentment to see another's face light up.

I pray God allows me to always have the ability to give like the poor widow that is referenced several times in the New Testament. "Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than ALL the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on." Mark 12: 41-44 What an example! I want to be like her, for though she was poor, she was rich!

Verse 25 "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."Greed and selfishness go hand in hand. The wealthier you become the more you want and are less likely to share because it would be giving up what you have become obsessed over. Who gave you your riches? God did. All that we have comes from Him. Since He gives it to us, we in return need to be mindful that He wants us to give it back through helping those less fortunate. When we engage our hearts to do this it is then that we will know what true wealth is. God will bless us more than any possesion we hold.